Scrum Master
The servant-leader responsible for facilitating Scrum practices and removing impediments.
Detailed Explanation
The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the Scrum Team, responsible for ensuring Scrum is understood and enacted correctly. They help the team follow agile practices, remove impediments that block progress, and protect the team from external disruptions.
Key responsibilities include: facilitating Scrum events (sprint planning, daily standup, sprint review, retrospective), coaching the team on self-organization, helping the Product Owner manage the backlog, removing organizational impediments, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
The Scrum Master is not a project manager in disguise. They do not assign tasks, make decisions for the team, or have authority over team members. Their influence comes through coaching, facilitating, and enabling — not commanding. Great Scrum Masters make themselves progressively unnecessary.
Key Points
- Servant-leader, not a manager or commander
- Ensures Scrum is understood and properly practiced
- Facilitates all Scrum events
- Removes impediments blocking team progress
- Coaches the team on self-organization
- Protects the team from external disruptions
Practical Example
A Scrum Master notices the team's velocity dropping over 3 sprints. In the retrospective, she facilitates discussion revealing that frequent meetings from other departments are disrupting focus. She works with management to establish 'focus hours' (no meetings 9am-12pm). Velocity improves by 25% in the next sprint. She addressed the systemic impediment without telling the team what to do.
Tips for Learning and Applying
Focus on removing impediments — this is your highest-value activity
Coach, do not dictate — let the team self-organize and learn
Make retrospectives safe spaces for honest feedback
Work yourself out of a job — a mature team needs less facilitation
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